Stop Struggling With Messy Sheets: The Simple Invention That Keeps Them In Place

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You know the feeling when you finally get your bed made with all the sheets tucked in tight and pulled taut across the mattress? Nothing is worse than falling asleep that way, only to wake up halfway through the night to messy sheets that look like they've been in a fight, and lost. While there might have been a day when we said the internet is loving the messy bed trend, that day isn't today and that bed isn't your bed. You prefer the crisp corners and snug sheets that stay in place.

Fortunately, there's a simple trick to prevent your sheets from slipping off the bed: sheet corner locks. They're plastic corner supports held in place by the weight of your mattress, kind of like those L-shaped book ends whose bottom part slides under the books for security. Place them on all four corners of your bed before adding your sheets. Then an outer clip attaches to the plastic base from over the sheets to hold them tight. There are several varieties on the market, ranging in price from under $20 like these Ixbixb Bed Sheet Holders to around $50 for these ZlumberLock Secure Sheet Holders. 

While each manufacturer has slight differences, they all have the same general function and can be used to hold both your fitted and top sheets in place, for any sized bed. They're also simple enough that they can be installed by one person. The outer clip is designed to be easy to remove, so it won't make changing the sheets an arduous process.

To prevent sheets from slipping off the bed using sheet corner locks, start with a bare mattress. Some sheet corner locks come with a base that needs to be unfolded before installation, so be sure to reference the instructions for your specific model before you begin. Slide the base component of the corner lock under one of the four mattress corners. Push it in as far as it'll go so it's firmly cupping the corner. Repeat that process on all other corners.

Now you can add the fitted sheet to the mattress, placing it over the sheet corner locks, and tucking it in as you normally would. If you only want to use the locks for the fitted sheet, you can attach the outer clip to all four corners at this point. With one hand, feel where the corner lock is under the fitted sheet and attach the clip into the grooves. If you want to lock in the top sheet as well, you can place the clip on the top two corners but wait to place the bottom corner clips. Lay out and tuck in the top sheet exactly how you like it. Then add the outer clips to the bottom two corners.

When it comes time to change your sheets, simply remove the outer clip and take off the old sheets. Add the new sheets and reattach the outer clips, just as you did during the initial installation. The base of the sheet corner locks can stay in place without being disturbed while you change the sheets.